Scouring utensil



June 28, 1932. s BRADFORD, JR 1,864,579

SCOURING UTENS IL Filed Aug. 11, 1950 INVENTOR. fDWA/afl 5. BRMFURZLJK.

2/ M ATTORNEYS Patented June 28, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARDs. BRADFORD, an,

O1 LON GIEADO'W, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, BY DIRECT AND IESNEASSIGNMENTS, 0] ONE-HALF TO SPRINGFIELD WIRE & TINSEL 60., O1

SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS, AND ONE-HALF TO METAL TEXTILE CORPORATION, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA-TION OF DELAWARE.

SCOUBING UTENSIL Application filed August 11, 1930. Serial No. 474,551.

This invention relates to an improved scouring utensil of gimpedmetallic strand material and to a method of making such a utensil.

The material by itself is old and widely used in various forms, usuallywith a textile thread to carr the twisted metallic filament and tlDS isuse both in woven and unwoven form. The problem of this invention is tomake an improved and fluffy arrangement of a mass of such material forscourlng purposes. In addition, it is desirable to avoid all possiblehard spots of any substantial bulk in the arrangement. Of course it isdesirable to build such a utensil at a low cost and with a saving ofuseful material. I

These several objects are accomplished by the particular method andstructure which I will disclose in detail. The invention in its variousaspects is best understood from the detailed description of the methoddiscovered to make a referred embodiment..

In the rawing Fig. 1 is a view of the twisted metalllc strand as used inits preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a skeleton view of a support on which a skein of the strandhas been wound;

Fig. 3 is a skeleton view of the skein on the support, after tying andbefore it is re-, leased from its skein-winding position; and

Fig. 4 is a view of my new scourlng utensil formed by releasing theskein, after it has been tied to hold the strands.

To accomplish the invention I wind a skein of a strand 5 like that inFig. 1 on a suitable support 7 as in Fig. 2. The winding is done underusual tension.

The twisted metal filament or strand 5 is somewhat like a weak coilspring. And the winding tension in making the skein results in somewhatthe same action as putting a strand of a weak coiled spring into skeinform. I make articular use of these characteristics as be pointed out.

When the skein is formed and while it is under the winding tension Ihook a binding cord or wire 9 through the loop of the skein at one endand pull this binding wire up into the very end of the loop and thenpass the wire around the skein body in a plane parallel to the len h ofthe skein at the end bend. Then I tight y tie or bind the strands of theskein as shown in Fig. 3. The other end of the skein is tied down in thesame way.

With the strands tied down at each end of the skein in this simplefashion, they are taken off the skein support 7. Immediately theslightly tensioned strands relax, the tied points 9 of the skeinapproach each other, the outside strands of the skein are crowded by theinside ones into bowed form between the tied points 9, as shown in Fig.4. This bowed form of the strands indicated in Fig. 4 gives the generaldirection of the strand portions between points 9. In addition there isa tendency for each portion to back twist or tangle with the result thatthere are a multitude of short curls throughout the ball mass. Thesecurls are more pronounced and occur in greater number inside the massthan on the outside.

The action is much the same as if the skein were made with loops from avery long coil spring. The strand portions between points 9 are bowedout and arrange themselves in a ball-like formation and as if the points9 were the opposite poles of a globe.

This ball of metallic gimped cord or strands is sufliciently tangled forthe strands to work together in scouring. They are all tied together onthe outside of the ball which leaves the inside soft, movable, and loosefor holding water like a sponge. And more important, the interior of theball in its loose state can be washed out to clean the utensil itself.Where the strands of such a ball are massed by tying them at the centeror core, there is a hard mass which acts as a trap for grease and dirt.I avoid this by tyin my strands on the outside of the ball anddeavingthe inside free. This is only one of the detailed advantages in the newform of utensil.

Another is in the fact that the strands are in the best coordinatedposition for scouring-that is, with their length extending between theopposite poles of the ball and bowed outwardly toward the surface wherethe work must be done. This gives an im-- proved efliciency to theutensil.

2 mauve The advantages mentioned are onl some of many that can be listedupon a f analytical consideration of the new utensil.

It may be desirable to wind the skein over 5 a piece of soap, sponge, orother center piece which will be surrounded by the d strands in theball. The latter will be pus ed into a bigger ball for a given weight ofgimped strands than can be formed without I. a center piece. Myarrangement is particularly adapted to such a central addition to theutensil.

It may be desirable in some instances to turn the skein inside out,preferably on its 15 support, before releasin it from its win tension.This action wi put the longer outside 100 s of the strands on the insideof the ball and the shorter ones on the outside. It will tend to crowdthe material between 39 points 9 so that the ball will be alittle harderwith the strands on the outside of the ball drawn down a little tighterthan in the arrangement first described.

I am aware that there are prior scourin utensils made of metallic gimpedcord an in various forms. M claims are directed to the new utensil as aand device and to the improved method of making such a utensil.

do not desire to limit or restrict the inso vention as claimed except asthe same may be legally necessary by the condition of the prior art.

What I claim is: 1. A cleaning utensil of the class described 35comprising two ring binding elements, a mass of metallic gim ed strandmaterial formed into loops, eac loop passing once through each bindingelement at substantially op osite points of the loop, there being enougof said loops to form a loose substantially spherical mass between thebinding elements, said loops being tied only by said binding elements.

2. A strand of abrasive metallic material $5 looped upon itself toprovide a multiplicity of elongated looped sections, means gathering andsecuring the loop ends of each 'de in converging relation, whereby eachof s id sections is positioned one adjacent the other and disposedradially about an axis extending between its opposite gathered loop endsand lies in a plane radiating from a central axis intersectin thegathered ends to form a substantially sp erical resilient body. 55 Intestimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

EDWARD S. BRADFORD, JR.

